Anatomy and Physiology / Unit 1: Body Organization and Homeostasis
1.3 Anatomical Position and Directional Terms
Notes
Anatomical position: standing upright, feet flat and parallel, arms at the sides with palms facing forward. All directions are described as if the body is in this position, and right and left always mean the patient's right and left.
- Superior (cranial): toward the head. Inferior (caudal): toward the feet.
- Anterior (ventral): front. Posterior (dorsal): back.
- Medial: toward the midline. Lateral: away from the midline.
- Proximal: closer to the point of attachment (the trunk for a limb). Distal: farther from it.
- Superficial: closer to the surface. Deep: farther from the surface.
- Example: the elbow is proximal to the wrist, and the wrist is distal to the elbow.
Practice
The sternum (breastbone) is ___ to the spine.
The sternum is on the front of the trunk, the spine is on the back, so the sternum is anterior to it.
Which statement is correct?
The ankle is farther from the point of attachment of the leg (the hip), so the knee is proximal to it. The nose is medial to the ears and skin is superficial to muscle.
A patient stands with arms hanging down and palms facing backward. A nurse describes locations from this posture. What is wrong with using this posture as the reference?
Anatomical position is upright with palms forward, so every description uses the same standard reference.
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